"The best thing I've seen in all my years of teaching!"

“ An amazing community-building experience.”

“ A perfect way to start off the year”

Marian Rose’s dance residency, conducted in English or French, is an intensive whole-school experience in which the gym time for an entire week is devoted to learning a variety of folk dance styles. While learning the steps and patterns, students also learn:

• Social skills required to dance with a partner and in a group
• Respect for each other and the dance
• Increased awareness and appreciation of dance and traditional music
• Context, history and vocabulary of dance

For teachers this is a valuable professional development experience, as they experience innovative teaching techniques and have the opportunity to see their students from a different perspective. They are left with skills, resources and the confidence to continue dancing with their students throughout the year. The school also benefits from the increased sense of pride and connection with the wider community.

On Thursday evening, the school hosts a community family dance featuring a live band composed of local musicians, giving students an opportunity to share their new-found skills with their parents and families. On Friday afternoon a whole-school assembly gives students the chance to show off some of the more impressive dances they have mastered.

Fees and other requirements